https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37021791/ NAFLD

Hepatology. 2023 Apr 10.
doi: 10.1097/HEP.0000000000000383. Online ahead of print.

Global and national prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in adolescents: an analysis of the global burden of disease study 2019

Phillipp Hartmann 1 2, Xinlian Zhang 3, Rohit Loomba 4 5 6, Bernd Schnabl 6 7

Abstract

Background and aims: N onalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in adolescents is an increasing health crisis worldwide but its exact global, continental, and national prevalence, its relationship with other metabolic conditions and the human development index (HDI) globally are not known.
Approach and results: We analyzed data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 to compare global, continental, and national prevalence rates of adolescent NAFLD, and associations with other metabolic conditions and the HDI. The global NAFLD prevalence in adolescents increased from 3.73% in 1990 to 4.71% in 2019 (relative increase of 26.27%). The prevalence for males and females was 5.84% and 3.52% in 2019, respectively. The Oceanian and North American continents had the highest adolescent NAFLD prevalence (median 6.54% and 5.64%, respectively), whereas Europe had the lowest prevalence (median 3.98%). South and North America had the highest relative increase in adolescent NAFLD prevalence from 1990-2019 (median 39.25% and 36.87%, respectively). High body-mass index (BMI) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) increased significantly in adolescents worldwide. However, only high BMI and not T2DM correlated with NAFLD prevalence in adolescents globally. Countries with higher HDIs had larger increases in adolescent NAFLD prevalence from 1990-2019, although countries with the highest HDIs (HDI > 0.9) had the lowest NAFLD prevalence in 2019.

Conclusions: NAFLD in adolescents is an increasing health problem on all continents. Improving environmental factors, including lifestyle but also healthcare policies, can help to prevent NAFLD from developing in children and adolescents and help to improve outcomes in children and adolescents with NAFLD.

Published on: 
Apr-2023

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